Star Wars: Ranking Every Film From Worst To Best

J.J. Abrams' first foray into the galaxy far, far away was a great deal more successful than his second.

Working with Lucas' longtime co-writer and all-around-legend-in-his-own-right, Lawrence Kasdan, Abrams was able to deliver a film that worked as both a satisfying reintroduction to a post-Return of the Jedi galaxy and a great start to a brand new chapter of the saga.

Which isn't to say there aren't problems. Abrams, predictably, relies far too heavily on surface-level nostalgia to reel audiences in and then moves the film at such a breakneck pace in an effort to keep them from ever thinking too much about what they're seeing that it becomes jarring and a bit offputting. But, you can feel the bones of Kasdan's work in the crafting of the setpieces and the introductions of the character, which is where the film really soars.

This is the film that gave us Daisy Ridley's Rey. John Boyega's Finn, Oscar Isaac's Poe, and Adam Driver's Kylo Ren. Abrams has always had a gift for starting stories, what with his trademark mystery box apporach, and this is perhaps his single strongest example of that. It kicked off the stories of these characters in thrilling fashion and left audiences eager to see where they would go.